The Arjahnyans
by RivErStaR
Summary: 'Most of the time we don't communicate. We just take turns talking.' SG-1 find out exactly what this means.


Disclaimer: I'm sure that you don't have to have a high IQ to know that anything remotely StarGate doesn't belong to me. Yeh sure I can dream but the odds of me actually owning the rights to the show are like 897589765876776068569087568907608975678956872565607860762 plus to 1 against me. Pretty bad odds hey.  
  
I do however claim and own and copyright the characters I have made up and the name of the planet and the language they speak coz after all I did make them up. So no, you can't have them. They're mine you here. MINE GIMME!!!! Lol Oh and the idea/plot (you pick what you want to call it), it's all mine too. Steal it and you die!! Ok enough of this crap coz I doubt any of you read it anywayze. On with the fic.  
  
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It was early in the morning, too early for Colonel Jack O'Neill to be preparing to embark on yet another mission through the StarGate. He exited the locker room and made his way slowly through the SGC to the gate room. Upon arrival, he was greeted by an overly excited Daniel, a rather stoic looking Teal'c and Major Carter who was looking slightly more enthused than himself.  
  
'How can they all be so damn cheerful this early in the morning,' he thought as he approached the group. "Morning Danny," he said. "Been raiding the coffee supplies again?"  
  
"Jack," whined Daniel who always seemed to be the main subject of Jack's incessant teasing. This, in turn caused Sam to snigger.  
  
Not liking this, Jack turned and glared at his second. "Something funny Major?"  
  
"No sir," she replied casting a sidelong glance at Daniel.  
  
"Good," he told her as he once again turned his attention back to Daniel who had begun to hop around in excitement like most little kids do when they've had too much red cordial. "Will you quit doing that Space-Monkey and just stand still for two seconds?" It really was too early to be subjected to Daniel's 'enthusiasm.'  
  
At Jack's words and his added menacing glare, Daniel halted 'dancing' and looked over at Sam who was unsuccessfully trying to hide a smirk. "You're a right happy camper this morning sir, she said, her remark dripping in sarcasm. "Did you get out of bed on the right side again sir?" Her innocent expression cause Daniel to laugh out loud and Teal'c just raised an eyebrow. Jack was not impressed. After all, it was common knowledge that the right side of his bed on base, rested against a wall, and he had, on a few occasions got out of bed on the right side.  
  
"Not funny Major," Jack retorted while trying to once again silence Daniel with a glare. He looked at Teal'c hoping to find some form of support from the heckling he was receiving from Daniel and his second in command, but as usual, Teal'c's face remained expressionless. Seeing this, O'Neill started a new conversation by changing the subject. "So, can someone please enlighten me as to why I am standing here with a hyperactive Daniel at two- thirty in the morning?"  
  
Taking this opportunity, Daniel started to launch into one of the longest speeches in the history of mankind about the cultural values of PQW 278. He got about ten words from his mouth before the gate, which had begun dialling, interrupted him. This just lead to further excitement on his part because he just couldn't wait to visit this planet. He was literally minutes away from exploring a new culture and not even Colonel O'Neill's foul mood was going to ruin this expedition.  
  
As the seventh chevron locked and the wormhole engaged, General Hammond's voice came over the speakers. "SG-1 you have a go, I repeat, you have a go."  
  
"Ok peoples let's move out," O'Neill ordered as he led the way up the ramp and into the event horizon, followed closely by Teal'c, Sam and Daniel respectively.  
  
  
  
Once they had all arrived on the other side, Jack gave an audible groan. "Oh for cryin' out loud! It's too early for trees. Why is it that wherever we go there's trees?"  
  
"Well Jack," Daniel started because he just couldn't help himself. "Wasn't it Sam who once said that usually where there's oxygen, there's bound to be vegetation?"  
  
Jack rolled his eyes as Teal'c added his two cents. "I concur Daniel- Jackson." It never ceased to amaze Daniel that even after all this time, only Teal'c was capable of joining both his first and last names together to make it sound like poetry. In fact, he had become so used to hearing it that when people called him just 'Daniel,' he never even realised they were talking to him.  
  
Sam, however, had spotted something moving amongst the trees and although she was thoroughly enjoying this 'pick on the Colonel' session they were all having, she felt obligated to report the movement. "Uh sir, I don't think we're alone here on this planet. I saw something move over there."  
  
"Of course we're not alone Carter," Jack started sarcastically. "We have trees keeping us company, and lots of them. It was probably just a branch moving in the wind that you saw."  
  
While Jack was busy being sarcastic to his second, the 'movement' moved closer until the group of explorers were surrounded.  
  
"You were saying sir," Carter told him with a smug expression on her face. "Wind was it?"  
  
"Ah crap," said Jack as he realised that they were not only surround, but completely out numbered too. "This does not look good."  
  
"No kidding," came Daniel's reply.  
  
Jack looked around trying to get a better idea on his current position. At a glance, he counted no fewer than at least fifteen indigenous persons. They were weird looking and pretty vertically challenged. However it was the colour of their skin, which caught Jack's, eye the most. It was not a colour that could be found on skin all over earth, oh no, these persons had skin that was purple. Not bright purple, but the purple skin turns when sporting a rather nasty bruise. A blackish-purple. Weird indeed.  
  
One stepped forward and immediately Jack assumed that he was the leader of the group. He pointed at SG-1 and said, "oui gedd libbapsab ouib gaymupl ellaseynaho."  
  
O'Neill's jaw dropped at the sound of this most interesting language. Daniel however, like always was intrigued. Before he could say anything though, Jack beat him to it. "Well Danny boy, you're up. A translation please would be nice."  
  
"I'm sorry Jack but this is like no language I've ever heard or studied on earth before," replied Daniel who was just so damn fascinated by these persons.  
  
Once again for about the sixth plus time today, Jack rolled his eyes. "For cryin' out loud Daniel. You know what 23 different languages and yet you still don't understand this one? Why me?" he said groaning.  
  
The 'tribe' noticed the break in silence and thrust their spear like weapons closer to the group in a more threatening manner this time. "Lehapza!" the one Jack called the leader yelled at them thrusting his spear once more to show them again who was in control of this situation.  
  
Daniel looked at Jack who just shrugged his shoulders but remained quiet. This seemed to appease the leader as he turned around to the tribesmen on his left and ordered, "nyfa ncaeb gaymupl pug!"  
  
Four of the persons stepped forward and took all the weapons from the hands of SG-1 including their side arms and all the equipment they had brought with them. Once all their possessions had been confiscated, they found their hands being tied together with a crude looking, yet very strong rope. The binds were simple yet effective as SG-1 found they had no choice but to be dragged along by their captors.  
  
  
  
The walk to the tribe's village was a long and very tiring one. SG-1 was forced to climb up a steep crevasse with bound hands however they reached the top with few injuries. They were all thankful that none of them had stumbled causing them to plummet to their death. Once at the top, they had to endure a swim across a raging river and then no more than ten earth minutes later after a trek through the dense forest, they finally arrived at the village of these purple persons, as Jack had silently dubbed them.  
  
Before any of them could get a decent look around the village, they were taken into a very strong yet simple looking hut and were locked in. Inspecting their holding cell, Daniel joked that it only contained the 'bare essentials,' which to Jack replied, "Yeah, four walls, a floor and a door with locks. Real bare." The only thing they did have was each other's company and given their current situation, it was better this way. At least they didn't have to worry about one of the team being tortured, which was quite a relief.  
  
Taking advantage of this 'alone time' Jack asked Daniel how he was coming along working out this foreign language.  
  
Daniel, who was sitting in one of the room's four corners looking tired, frustrated yet slightly excited sighed and answered negatively. "Not yet Jack. I mean they haven't exactly given me the opportunity to study their culture. They've been less than hospitable."  
  
Frowning, Jack turned to Carter who was busy studying the walls as if she was searching for a way out. As if reading his mind she spoke. "Sir, I really don't see a way out of here. These walls may not look it, but they are incredibly strong. If only I had my equipment with me I could tell what they're made from."  
  
"Come on Carter," Jack started. "You have to get us out of here. You always get us out of tight spots."  
  
Sam slowly shook her head. "Not this time sir. There is no way of getting out of here."  
  
"Well I just hope they give us food," Jack stated. "I'm hungry."  
  
Daniel and Sam just groaned at his last remark however Teal'c broke the silence. "I do believe O'Neill that we have been held prisoner before by aliens who have not provided us with sustenance. Perhaps they plan to let us stave to death."  
  
"Well thank you Mr Positive," replied a very annoyed Colonel. "They'd better be planning on feeding us otherwise I'll be banging on this door 'til the cows come home and then some until they do."  
  
Teal'c raised an eyebrow. He was obviously confused by O'Neill's outburst. "How do you know that the bovine quadruped is an inhabitant of this planet O'Neill? I have yet to see one," he pointed out to Jack.  
  
He groaned once more, and it seemed that he'd be doing a lot more of it before this little outing was over. "They're cows Teal'c. Not bovine quadrupeds. And besides," he continued explaining, "it was just a figure of speech. It means that.. well, I'd be banging on that door until the wee hours of the morning." Teal'c however looked more confused than ever so to ease his mind and make things easier for the bulky Jaffa he said, "Just forget I said anything Teal'c. It wasn't really important. I just want food."  
  
As if on que someone on the outside started to unlock the bolts on the door. The door opened, a man walked in and shut the door behind him. He never moved nor said a word until the bolts were once more securely in place on the other side of the door.  
  
"Greetings and salutations," he said to them. "My name is Ibku. I have come to help get you out of here."  
  
Daniel stepped forward and said, "Well that's the first bit of good news we've heard for a while. I'm Daniel, this is Jack, Sam and over there is Teal'c. You're the first person we've met here who knows our language."  
  
"I am most pleased to meet you all," Ibku told Daniel whilst briefly acknowledging the others. "On this planet I am the only one who speaks this language. The others I am still trying to fully communicate with however I have managed to teach them a few basic phrases and hand gestures. We get along quite well together."  
  
Jack felt the need to intervene here as the direction this conversation was taking was leading them nowhere. "Can you tell me why they attacked us?" he asked the older man.  
  
Ibku thought for a bit before answering. It was almost as if he was searching for an answer. The operative term here being 'if.' "As I said I understand very little of their language but from what I have managed to interpret, I believe they see you as a threat to their community," he tried to explain with great difficulty. "They acted with the same hostility towards me when I first arrived through the great ring however they have come to trust me. You see the Arjahnyans are a peaceful race and tend to just keep to themselves so I do not believe that they would harm you unless they felt it was absolutely necessary."  
  
"Arjahnyans?" Daniel queried.  
  
"Yes, that is what the natives of this planet are called," he explained to Daniel. "It was one of the very few words I was able to decipher. After further 'discussions' with these people I think that the word was derived from an ancient phrase meaning 'children of the purple waters.'"  
  
The look on Daniel's face was indescribable. To say he was intrigued would be the understatement of the millennia. He was way beyond excited. Jack however was getting a teeny bit pee'd off. As much as Daniel found this interesting, it was not really helping them get out of the holding cell. So he felt inclined to butt in.  
  
"So Ibku," he started as politely as he could. "About getting us outta here?"  
  
"Ah yes I forgot, sorry," he apologised. "As I said, I have proven my loyalty to the Arjahnyans so perhaps I might be able to persuade them to accept you as they have accepted me. I will return shortly with more appropriate dress and hopefully with orders from Zyahid to release you into my care."  
  
This time it was Carter who spoke up for the first time since this Ibku fellow waltzed into their private cell. "And who would Zyahid be?" she asked him.  
  
"Zyahid is the leader, the one who brought you here," he explained. He was about to continue when he looked more closely at Carter and then jumped back startled. "Forgive me, I did not know you were female," he told her bowing his head, a sign of the utmost respect.  
  
It was not only Sam who looked surprised at Ibku's outburst, but the three other men as well. Sam was the first to recover. "Ibku please, it's ok. You weren't to know I am female. Please, could you tell us why women are so well respected here?" she asked him after motioning for him to look up.  
  
Raising his bowed head Ibku answered her. "There are only three females left on this side of Arjahnya, so the males, in order to keep them from fleeing to the other side, do anything to keep them pleased. They are treated with the most respect and have anything they want. You being female will be given the same special treatment in hopes that you will agree to stay here too for the rest of your lifespan."  
  
Sam grinned. For the first mission in ages, things were starting to finally go her way. She was going to be waited on hand and foot and it was her teammates who were going to be doing the waiting. The others however, didn't seem to be sharing her enthusiasm, which was quite understandable.  
  
With this last statement, Ibku bid them a farewell until later on, knocked on the door, it was soon unlocked, and once again were SG-1 left to their own devices in the cell. Their only hope of escape or acceptance lay with the little old man named Ibku whom they had just met. It was not going to be easy considering he was the only one they could understand. Night fell soon after and they all decided it would be best if they got some sleep and that maybe things would look brighter in the morning.  
  
'Aren't things always brighter in the morning,' Jack thought to himself before drifting off into the land of Nod. 'After all, it's dark now and the sunshine usually does make things brighter.' With that thought in his head, and not visions of sugarplums, he fell asleep like his teammates.  
  
  
  
A/N - Hope you all enjoyed reading this first instalment. I know I sure had fun writing it. Stay tuned for the next chapter coming soon, hopefully. Fingers crossed. Feedback is welcome. No flames however constructive criticism is most welcome and I encourage it ( 


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